Flower Boy
by KNDfreak
Summary: AU, high school fic, humanized. "Dude, that's the Flower Boy!" Zuma said, eyes wide. Chase frowned. "Yeah, so?" "You can't date the Flower Boy! No one can!" "Why not?" "Because that's like, against the school's code or something! Flower Boy is innocent!" Too bad Chase didn't get the memo. Two-shot.
1. Chapter 1

Chase was an idiot.

Not in the sense of intelligence, on the contrary, Chase was quite smart - but in the sense of being aware of what was happening around him. This has always been a huge problem for the teen; ever since the day he'd first went to school, back in pre-k. The boy never paid attention to what others thought of him, what they were saying, and the alike, and as a result, when it came to humanized socialization, Chase was pretty clueless. It was also because of this, Chase wasn't aware of the large crowd of attraction he was getting now that he was in high school.

The boys he was pretty cool with, sometimes. Some of them envied him because apparently, all the girls were attracted to him, and he was all they could talk about. Then, there was Bruno, a guy that considered Chase as a rival in almost everything they do. He hated how smart he is, hated how athletic Chase is, and he hated the fact that the girl he's been crushing on, Everest, also liked him. Luckily, Chase didn't know about the burning hate and the jealous glares he gets almost constantly, so Chase never really cared much about it.

The girls, on the other hand, were a handful. Many times, Chase would find his locker packed with secret love notes and letters, and he would have to ask a nice janitor to discard all of them, because it would take forever and a day just to clean it out. Sometimes, some of the girls were shameless with their flirting, and would constantly try to get them alone so they could have some private time with him. At this point, Chase would politely reject the girls, and this would anger them, causing rumors to spread about him, yet this never stop any of them from trying to get at him.

There was this one girl who was persistent, though; her name was Skye. She was really pretty, and Chase liked her a lot, but he didn't see her anything more than just a little sister, who is constantly trying to get into his pants. It was really weird, and Chase ignored the taunts half of the time, but regardless of what he does, Skye doesn't seem to get the hint, which is why Chase ended up avoiding her most of the time.

Chase only had two best friends - Rocky and Zuma. He had known them since middle school, when they first met in Math class. Rocky was pretty much the nerd of the group, the teacher's pet some would call it, but Chase didn't mind. He liked it when Rocky spoke of intelligence, and even though some of the things he says confused Chase most of the time, he still kept an ear sharp whenever Rocky was conversing with him. His favorite color was green, he's Aquaphobic, or an irrational fear of water, his favorite food just so happens to be Caesar salad, and he was bit of an environmentalist. If there was anything that could get Rocky to talk, it's the suggestion of helping the planet they call Mother Earth.

Zuma was the exact opposite of Rocky, when it came to classes anyway. The brown-skinned boy was always sleeping on his desk, turning in his work late, and pretty much the kid that you just knew was failing in school, but Zuma didn't seem to care. The only class Zuma seemed to be interested in was Biology, which wouldn't surprise Chase at all - Zuma loved learning everything about the life they live, and how it was created, especially if it was the sea life. Unlike Rocky, Zuma loved the waters, loved learning about the sea creatures, and how to prevent dangers that may come with it. His favorite color was orange, pretty much fearless as far as Chase was concerned, favorite food was anything junk related, and maybe a bit of an environmentalist.

Despite their differences, Zuma and Rocky were in a relationship, which, from what Chase could see, was a pretty amazing thing. A part of him just knew they were perfect together, given by how similar they were when it comes to the environment, and he could see love in their eyes when they looked at each other, not speaking, because they don't have to in order to communicate. Chase could swear up and down that his heart squeezed whenever he saw Zuma and Rocky holding hands when they were walking down the hallways, taking each other to their class, and a smile would be on his face whenever they gave each other a peck of the cheek. It was really cute, and a part of him felt envious that he didn't have someone like that.

"Whatacha thinkin' about Chase?" Another friend, Ryder, asked, as he sat down near him. Right now it was lunch hour, where the cafeteria was buzzing with hungry students, most sitting with their friends, chatting. Chase titled his head.

Ryder was a year older than Chase, and was about to graduate soon. He had met the senior about a month ago, and the two quickly became friends when they shared interest. Ryder was a cool, level-headed, guy that always came up with the brightest of ideas, given Rocky a run for his money, and was usually found on the track team recently, since Ryder's interest varies. He was also in a relationship, with a girl named Katie, who was also a senior, and was planning to go to school for pet grooming and a parlor, for both humans and pets.

"Eh. Just reminding myself how lucky you and Zuma are to find someone you love." Chase said, shrugging his shoulders. Hearing his name, Zuma, who had been kissing his boyfriend, looked over at Chase.

"Dude, you have, like, hundweds of giwls thwoing themselves at you. Why not date of them?" He asked. Zuma also had a speech impairment, in which he would pronounce his R's as W's instead. It sometimes caused him to get teased and yelled at, causing the boy to shrink in embarrassment, but neither Chase, Rocky, or Ryder was going to let any of the kids get away with that. Chase sighed.

"I don't know. That seems desperate to me. I want to date someone who I can love, someone who will like me for who I am, and not because I look good." He said. He could feel, rather than see, Zuma smirk.

"And hewe I thought you wewe being vain." He said, making Chase laugh and playfully shoved him.

"Shut up!" He sighed. "But no, seriously, you and Rocky, Ryder and Katie...I want what you guys have." He said.

"Don't put too much thought into it, Chase. When the time comes, you'll know." Katie said, making Chase look down at his food.

"Yeah..."

* * *

Later that afternoon, school had let out, and as far as Chase knew, Ryder had a club to go to, Rocky and Zuma were already walking home, and Katie was staying behind because of Ryder. With a sigh, Chase shut his locker.

"Looks like I'm walking home alone again." He mumbled, shifting his backpack onto his shoulder and began leaving the building. There were a few students left, meaning some of them were probably staying behind for late activities, which Chase didn't pay attention to. He would occasionally nod when someone spoke to him, but that was about it. His footsteps were the only thing keeping him company as he walked the otherwise empty halls to leave school, and when he got to the door and walked out, he shielded his eyes when the sun blinded him. He groaned. "Great, I'm going to have to buy sunglasses soon."

Suddenly, there was humming, causing Chase to stop in his complaining, and blinked.

The humming was quite beautiful, and also feminine, and it urged Chase to come and follow it. Which is exactly what Chase did, after adjusting his eyes to the light, and began following the music. It didn't take long, and Chase found himself in the back of the schoolyard, near the garden the principle had wanted, and was surprised to find that the singing wasn't really female as Chase thought.

Instead, it was a boy, no older than Chase, maybe a bit younger, and was wearing the heaviest set of gardening clothes Chase had seen. The boy was wearing a sunhat, shielding his eyes, though there was no need for that, as the boy was wearing sunglasses, green rubber gloves, a green apron that covered him from the body down, but despite that, Chase could see that the boy was wearing a long-sleeve button down shirt, and washed-out jeans, that ended in a pair of a black, leather, boots. Despite all the cover-up, however, Chase could still see glimpses of pure, snow-white, skin.

At first, Chase was worried that the boy would've gotten some kind of stroke wearing all that, but when the boy made no indication of discomfort, Chase knew he was alright, judging by his singing, anyway.

For a moment, Chase was stuck on what to do. Now that he had seen what peaked his curiosity, he should return back to the path he was on, and walk on home, but...something about the boy made Chase want to stay, and observe him. So, despite his better judgement, he did.

He watched as the boy moved around the garden - a flower garden - planting new things into the soil, still humming, and sprinkling water over the plants he was growing.

"And just how are we today, Miss Rose?" He heard the boy speak, surprising Chase. The teen blinked, confused for a couple of seconds, before he realized that the boy was talking to the plants. Chase felt his lips twitch in amusement. "Looks like you're still in need of growing. Violet hasn't been messing with you lately, has she? That girl has a lot of sass, but I'm sure you can handle yourself."

Chase grinned.

"And you, Miss Iris? How are you feeling?" The boy asked, touching the leaf of the plant. "Still under the weather, I see. That blasted snowstorm we had caused this! No matter, I'm sure I can heal you up soon." Then he moved onto the pond, where there flowers growing there. "Water Lily, my dear, your colors has never been more brighter. I think you are in bloom!"

Chase couldn't help it, he laughed.

Startled by the noise, the boy turned around, and if Chase could see underneath those glasses, his eyes were widen in surprise as pink covered his face. He could tell that the boy was about to bolt, so Chase quickly explained.

"N-no, wait! Don't go! I wasn't laughing at you!" He said, quickly getting up and moving towards the boy. The boy shifted on his feet, looking extremely nervous.

"No one's suppose to be here." He muttered, looking down at his feet.

"Sorry, I just heard your singing so I'd thought I would come and check it out. Never expected a gardener to be here." Chase said, giving the boy a sheepish grin, one which the boy couldn't help but return. "So, are you the school's gardener?"

"Yes," He said, nodding his head. The boy was soft-spoken, which Chase couldn't help but adore. "It's my duty to take care of the gardens. I was informed that no one was allowed to be here besides me, however."

"Oh, sorry. Want me to leave?"

"No, no." The boy shook his head. "I could use the company. It kind of gets lonely back here all by myself."

"That explains the talking to the flowers." Chase teased, making the boy blush. "Hey, don't feel bad. I ended up talking to a wall, I was so bored once."

At that, the boy laughed, making Chase grin.

"A-a wall? Why?" He giggled.

"Like I said, I was bored." Chase said, shrugging his shoulders, making the boy giggle again, and him smiling. He could get use to that, he thinks, and looked down at him. "So...what's your name?"

"My name is Marshall." The boy, Marshall, said. Chase pretty much had the name down on a memo.

"Chase."

* * *

After a while, Chase headed home, where his family awaited him, looking worried.

"There you are Chase! We were so worried, and was about to call the school!" His mother said. Chase shrugged his shoulders, leaning into the hug that was given.

"Sorry, I got caught up in something."

"After school activity? Chase, why didn't you tell us you started staying after school!" His mother cried out. At first, Chase was going to deny that he wasn't staying after school, but then thought about it. He and Marshall had such a great time, and he knew Marshall would never allow anyone to know about Chase's slip-up, especially when the teen had invited him to stay after again tomorrow, so why not?

"Sorry mom, I'll be staying after school again tomorrow." He said. His mother just smiled while their dog, a German Shepherd named Buzz, barked, wagging his tail. The two looked at the dog and grinned.

"Think Buzz thinks 'it's about time!'" Chase snickered, making his mother laugh.

* * *

When tomorrow rolled around, Chase pretty much faced the day with a smile on his face. He didn't care what the others were saying about his behavior, and he ignored the whispers behind his back, he just couldn't wait to see Marshall again.

He also ignored the angry glare he was getting from Skye.

"Dude, what is wwong with you? You've been smiling all day." Zuma said, raising an eyebrow as Rocky snuggled underneath his arm. The gray-haired boy, too, was wondering what's gotten into Chase, but merely kept his mouth shut, figuring Zuma would talk to Chase to get more information out of him.

"I met a guy yesterday," Chase said, the smile getting bigger. "He's so funny! I really like him, and I hope to meet him again today."

"Sounds like a cwush." Zuma teased, making Chase blush.

"N-no, he's just a friend, is all."

"That's not what I'm getting fwom you." He snickered, ignoring the punch Chase gave him.

"Shut up!"

"So, who is this guy Chase? Anyone we know?" Katie asked, looking just as excited as Chase.

"His name is Marshall."

* * *

When school ended, Chase immediately went around back of the school, not really caring about anyone seeing him. He was too excited to see Marshall again, because the two had an awesome time together, and Chase learned something he'd never thought he would - flowers and their meanings.

 _"Sometimes, people give flowers to others because it's romantic."_ Marshall had said. _"If someone took the time out and figured out what means what to each flower and it's color, it'll probably be a lot different. For example, roses are the classic romance symbol, because a red rose means 'I love you'. Well it's not the only one. A pansy means loving thoughts, so when you give someone one, you can probably take it as someone who has you in mind, lovingly. A red tulip is a declaration of love as well. So many things like that are simply the best."_

Chase was never really much of a flower person, if he was honest. They were pretty, and they usually get the job done when it comes to wooing over another person. But, because of Marshall, Chase had learned so much and in so little time.

"Hey again." Chase said, surprising Marshall. He smiled.

"Hi." The white-skinned boy said. Chase simply grinned and sat down on the grass, watching as Marshall watered, added new soil, and other things to the plants. "Oh, Blue-Bell. You're looking lovely this evening."

"Wait, we have blue-bells? Don't they grow somewhere in the UK?" Chase asked, making Marshall grin.

"You remembered! Yes, they do, but they also grow in outer large areas too. These Blue-bells were transported, however, because the principle loves them and wishes to grow some more around the school." Marshall said. "So, I'm doing my best to breed some more."

"Oh. They are really pretty." Chase complimented. Marshall grinned again.

"They are!"

"Are they your favorite flowers?"

"Surprisingly, no. They aren't." Marshall answered. Chase blinked and looked at the boy.

"Then...what is it?" He asked. Marshall titled his head as he thought about it. On one hand, he _could_ tell Chase about his favorite flower, but, on the other, he could also make it into a game, which Marshall liked. He liked it a lot.

"I'll give you three guesses and you have until the end of the school year to get it right." He said, and Chase's eyes went wide. "One, it comes in four colors. Two, the name starts with a 'C' and three, it's meaning holds a very special place in my heart."

"what's the meaning?" Chase asked. Marshall grinned.

"I can't tell you! You'll probably figure it out right away, so that's one secret I'm going to keep." He giggled, making Chase pout. "Remember, the end of the school year."

Chase groaned.

"You're a tease. What do I get when I get it right?" He asked. At first, Marshall was having quite difficulty trying to find a reward that Chase may like, but when a thought came to him, a blush came across his face.

"A...kiss?" He hesitated. Chase froze, eyes wide as a blush came across his face as well. Marshall thought about changing the reward when Chase spoke.

"Deal."

* * *

 **To be Continued...Next chapter :P**


	2. Chapter 2

Two weeks.

Chase had until two weeks to figure how what was Marshall's favorite flower, and so far, he had no such luck. He'd first thought of carnations, but shook his head against the idea. It seemed too easy, and while Marshall did like flowers, he seemed to favor carnations less so than any other. Then he thought about Calla Lily, but when Chase told him that, Marshall merely shook his head and smiled, not giving him an answer, causing the teen to deflate at what he'd thought was the answer.

So, Chase was pretty much stuck.

"You got your head in the clouds, Chase. Is something the matter?" Ryder asked, making the teen look at him. Two weeks, and both Ryder and Katie were going to graduate. Chase was going to miss them, even if he hadn't known them for long, as they were pretty good friends to have.

"Just this simple quiz Marshall gave me." He shrugged.

"Ah, the flower thing? You haven't figured it out by now?" Ryder asked. Chase shook his head.

"No, but, I know I will soon. There aren't that many flowers that has 'C' in their names, believe it or not." He said.

"You never told us, Chase. Why is your friend obsess with flowers? Is it a hobby of his?" Ryder asked. Chase looked at him, bewildered.

"He's a gardener."

* * *

Chase couldn't help but smile at a certain person's humming as he walked towards the back of the school. Even though Marshall was shy about his singing, the teen was pretty good, and Chase had once encouraged him to join their choir - to which Marshall had politely denied.

 _"I like gardening,"_ He said, shrugging his shoulders. _"I find comfort in it."_

Nevertheless, Chase didn't push it, and instead, joined Marshall in his daily gardening, both in fascination and because he really liked the company. Though, Chase will admit, he was a little disappointed that Marshall did take up any other hobbies, seeing how Marshall has many other talents, but I digress.

"Oh, Rusty, not again." He heard Marshall say, causing him to blink. Soon, the answer to his question came quickly as he rounded the corner, and spotted Marshall holding up a small shovel, albeit, a broken one. Marshall sighed. "This is the third time you've fallen apart on me. Looks like I need another one."

"Do you always talk to inanimate objects?" Chase wondered, startling Marshall. The gardener frowned.

"Flowers aren't inanimate. They are living, breathing, things, just like you and me." He said, folding his arms. Hearing how upset Marshall was, Chase quickly held his hands up and changed his tune.

"Sorry. Flowers have feelings too, and I must remind myself of that." He teased, smiling when he saw Marshall's lips twitch, almost smiling.

"Yes, you will do well remembering that." Marshall said, hauntingly, before both teens broke out in laughter and giggles. When the laughter passed, Chase looked at the shovel in Marshall's hand.

"Sooo...Rusty?"

"It's called Rusty, because this shovel is so _old_ and beyond repair, _but_ the school doesn't have another one and I can't afford to get another one." Marshall said, frowning down at the shovel. "So I have been repairing it every time it's fallen apart, but I don't think he can last much longer."

"He?" Chase questioned, amused. Marshall huffed.

"Yes, 'he'. Do you not name your things?" Marshall asked, playfully annoyed.

"Not really, makes me less of a crazy person that way." Chase said, laughing when Marshall shoved him.

"Yes, well..." Marshall left it there. He soon turned back to his flowers, slightly petting them as if they were dogs, and digging up some of the old dirt to place in new soil. Chase watched him work silently, before his eyes drifted towards Marshall himself, and began to get lost in his train of thoughts.

It never occurred to him until now that Chase didn't know what Marshall looked like. Sure, he caught glimpses of white skin every now and then, but for the most part, Marshall was completely wrapped from head to toe in garden wear's, and if not that, then his own clothing does most of the blocking. Hell, Chase didn't even think he'd saw the color of Marshall's eyes because they were always blocked by the black sunglasses he wears!

Something about that made Chase uncomfortable, and maybe it's because he's curious, but Chase felt himself speaking without meaning to.

"Why can't I see you?" Both of them blinked.

"What do you mean?" Marshall asked, looking at Chase as he tilted his head. Chase could feel his cheeks burn with embarrassment, but nevertheless, continued with the question.

"I mean, like, you're fully clothed." When Marshall did nothing but raise an eyebrow, the blush on Chase's face turned an even deeper red.

"N-not like that! I mean, uh, it's-" Before Chase could make an even bigger fool of himself, Chase heard the boy giggle.

"You mean, why the long-sleeves and jeans?" Marshall asked, the smile on his face meant when he was highly amused by this situation. Not trusting himself to speak, Chase nodded his head. "Well, it's because I get sunburn easily. I have to make sure I'm covered completely, or I risk turning into a lobster."

"Oh." Chase said. For a moment, they didn't speak, but Chase continued. "Do...do you think I can see you? Unclothed, I mean."

"Whoa, take me out to dinner first!" Marshall giggled, and Chase was looking utterly mortified at this points. "Tell you what, Chase, when you figure out what my favorite flower is, you can see me when I'm not wearing the garden stuff." Then, because he couldn't resist, Marshall snickered. "Anything more, and you'll have to buy me dinner."

Chase groaned.

* * *

When Chase arrived home, the first thing he did was rushed towards his room, and open his piggy bank. Chase had been saving money to buy himself the next gen console, and he was almost at the reach too, but he decided there was something else that was more important.

His mother looked at him with curious eyes.

"Chase? What are you doing, dear?" She asked. Chase shrugged.

"Just helping out a friend, is all. Mom, do you think we can stop by Home Depot? I want to get something." He asked, looking at his mother. She blinked.

"Of course, dear. Just get what you need, and tell me when you're ready." She said, smiling. Chase gave her a smile back, and when Chase went back to his piggy bank, she couldn't help but smile. "Ah, young love. It's the sweetest."

* * *

"Dude, you fell fow a gawdenew? Lame!" Zuma crackled, ignoring the glare he was getting from Chase and Ryder, and held his side where Rocky elbowed him. Katie only rolled her eyes and smiled at Chase.

"Well, I think it's great that Chase finally found someone that he loves." She said, making Chase freeze.

"N-no, I don't _love_ him, Katie. He's a friend." He stuttered, ignoring the blush on his face when Katie winked at him. Zuma snickered.

"A fwiend who you'we just happening to buy gifts fow." He said, making Chase whine.

"Rocky, get your boyfriend!"

"Zuma, leave Chase alone. Be glad he has friends other than you - you're too much to handle anyway." Rocky said, smiling when Zuma pouted.

"Cold, Wocky. Weal cold." He said, only to smile when Rocky kissed the pout away. Meanwhile, Chase was staring at his gift with a bit of anxiety. What if Zuma was right? Was it normal for friends to buy gifts for other friends? Chase really did like Marshall, and he seemed upset about the shovel yesterday...

No, he thought, gripping his gift tightly in his hands. There's nothing wrong with buying gifts for friends. Marshall would be happy that he got it for him, and that's all it really mattered to Chase; Marshall being happy.

* * *

"I got you something." Chase said, digging into his backpack. Marshall blinked.

"You didn't have to. It's not my birthday yet." Marshall said, smiling. Chase shook his head and revealed the gift, blushing as Marshall stared at it, gasping.

"A...shovel? You brought me a shovel?"

"You said you couldn't afford one, right? Well, here you go. Thought it might make you happy." Chase said, shrugging his shoulders, blushing. Marshall couldn't contain his excitement and hugged the other teen, squealing as he did. Caught off guard slightly, Chase barely manage to keep his stance, the blush getting even darker. _He's so warm._ Chase thought, returning the hug. A second has passed, and surprisingly, Chase found himself not wanting to let go, even when he and Marshall broke apart. The smile on Marshall's face was dazzling, and it caused Chase's stomach to do flips.

"You've made me the most happiest gardener ever. Thanks, Chase. You're the best." Marshall said before turning around and skipped towards the garden, humming. Chase stood there for a good while, in a daze, before shaking his head.

"It's no problem, Marsh." He said. Marshall, who had been watering a bunch of daisies, perked up slightly, tilting his head.

"Marsh," He repeated, licking his upper lips, not knowing that Chase was watching him do so, and grinned. "I like it! Nobody's ever given me a nickname before!"

"Glad you approve." Chase said, not really paying attention to anything else, but Marshall working on the garden, humming along as he did so.

* * *

It was almost at the end of the school year, when Chase finally figured it out.

Chrysanthemum. Marshall's favorite flowers were Chrysanthemums.

But while Chase had been busy doing that, his friends had also figured out who Marshall was, and, needless to say, no one was thrilled about it.

"Dude, that's the Flowew Boy!" Zuma said, eyes wide. Chase frowned at the reaction.

"Yeah, so?"

"You can't date the Flower Boy! No one can!" Rocky said. Something in the pit of Chase's stomach was bubbling, and not in the good way, like when he was with Marshall and the white-skinned boy had blinded him with his smiles.

"Why not?"

"Because that's like, against the school's code ow something! Flowew Boy is innocent!" Zuma said. Chase couldn't help but roll his eyes and shake his head, before looking over at the rest of his friends. Katie's lips were pressed together tightly, and Ryder looked just as confused as Chase.

"Normally, I would say ignore everything Zuma says, but in this case, Zuma's right. No one is allowed to date or go near Flower Boy, that's like, the silent rule of the school. Didn't you know?" Rocky asked.

"Wocky, deaw, this is Chase. He's oblivious to evewything BUT what's in fwont of him," Zuma said, ignoring the snappish 'Hey!' from Chase.

"No one told _me_ of this," Ryder said, frowning. "What's wrong with Marshall?"

"Nothing's wrong, it's just-"

"Too innocent! Have you _seen_ the guy?! He's like, the Viwgin Mawy. He's too cute, too innocent, and he _nevew_ does anything wwong. Evewyone likes him, that's why Chase can't date Flowew Boy." Zuma shook his head. "But you know...with Chase being Mr. Populaw and Marshall being Viwgin Mawy, who knows? Maybe it'll wowk. Ow it could blow up in all ouw faces. What I _do_ know, howevew, is that Skye's gonna be pissed off."

Chase groaned.

"I'm not even dating him, I'm friends with him." He said.

"But you love him, Chase. I can see it in your eyes." Katie said, stressing this out like a fact.

" _No_ I don't! Marshall and I are just really good friends!" Chase shouted, loud enough for everyone to hear. There was a moment of silence before Zuma spoke up.

"Alwight, alwight. Chill, dude. No need to get so wowked up." He said, making Chase breathe a heavy sigh of relief. As he continued eating his lunch, he failed to notice a figure leaving the cafeteria.

* * *

When school was over, Chase immediately ran towards the back of the school, but to his shock, Marshall wasn't there.

Confused and maybe even worried, Chase walked towards the empty garden, looking around, but there was no sign of Marshall anywhere. Feeling like someone had just punched him in the gut, Chase tried to calm himself.

"Maybe he's sick?" He wondered, before turning towards a row of Blue-bells. "You guys haven't seen him, have you?" Obliviously, the plants didn't answer, and when Chase realized this, he chuckled. "Right. Plants. Marshall, you've been rubbing off on me."

And just when he was about leave, out of the corner of his eye, he saw an old shack further away from the garden. Getting a sneaky suspicious that Marshall may be in there, Chase began walking towards the shack, and the closer he got, the closer he could hear sniffling. He was about to open the door and speak, when the person in the shack beat him to it.

"I should have known he wouldn't like me, I'm a fool." It was Marshall. At first, Chase was confused, but listened to him anyway. "This whole time...I thought...I thought...maybe he finally noticed me, and...we were getting along so well...and I thought we were...was I reading the signs wrong? Does he really not like me in that way?" This conversation was breaking Chase's heart. _Who?_ Chase thought. _Who has hurt you Marshall?_ "Of course not. If he knew what a freak I was, he probably wouldn't want to be my friend anymore, let alone like me in that way," Another sniffle. "And there's the matters of Skye, of course. She's so pretty and I'm...not. Of course he'll like her. Chase...what's wrong with me? Why aren't I good enough for you?"

At this point, Chase was frozen in his spot as Marshall cried his heart out.

* * *

 _He likes me._ Chase thought, staring at his computer screen. _He really, really, likes me. But for how long?_

Over and over again, Chase replayed the entire conversation in his head. Some of the things Marshall had said didn't make sense, seeing how this was the first time they've met, and Chase was helplessly confused as to why Marshall thought Chase liked Skye, when he's being avoiding her the whole time. So, at this time, Chase needed some answers.

"Holy crap, did you really not know? Flower Boy's been at our school for almost _four years_ Chase! The same amount of years you, Zuma, and I have been going at the school!" Rocky said.

Four years. Four years Marshall has been going to their school, four years Chase didn't even know about Marshall, and it was just now that Chase knew about Marshall, but for four years, it seemed like Marshall knew about him, and holy crap, things were starting to fall into place.

Holy crap - let me go back to my original statement - Chase was an idiot.

And, it seemed like, Marshall had feelings for Chase for a while, which suddenly made the Chrysanthemum make sense.

A yellow Chrysanthemum meant secret admirer.

Holy

Crap.

And suddenly Chase felt like the biggest fool on the planet.

"I'm going to fix this," Chase said, looking at the calendar, with a date that was marked 'Ryder's and Katie's Graduation Day!'. "I have to."

* * *

When Marshall went to his garden he was surprised to see Chase standing there, in the center, nervously. The white-skinned boy suddenly felt sick, but despite that, put on a brave smile and walked towards him. Before he could speak, Chase cut him off.

"Chrysanthemum," He said, surprising Marshall. "Your favorite flower. I also know why one of the meanings holds a very special place in your heart." At that, Marshall froze, and before he knew it, tears were falling down his face. Before Marshall could say anything, however, Chase pulled out a bouquet of flowers - different kinds and colors, but most have the same meaning, Marshall realized - and held towards him, blushing. "First of, let me say, that I'm a freaking idiot, and I am so, so, sorry. Yesterday, I heard you talking in the shack and-" Chase bit his lip. "Four years. You have known me for four years. Why haven't you said anything?"

"How would you react to a random person going to you, telling you that they loved you, huh? You'll probably think I'm a crazy person!" Marshall snapped, causing Chase to wince. "I've seen you throw away a hundreds of love notes Chase! Did you..." Marshall gulped. "Did you even bother to read any of them?"

A part of Chase thought he should've.

But sadly, he didn't - and he let Marshall know that.

"Exactly. You didn't. You probably would have thought I was another fangirl, trying to have sex with you." Marshall sniffled. "That's why I never said anything. And...I thought maybe you wouldn't like me for who I am..."

"What are you talking about?" Chase asked. For a moment, Marshall was silent, but began dragging him towards the school's back entrance, and as soon as they were in the building, Marshall began to strip himself away from the gardening wears. With all of that gone, Chase could only stare at the boy in awe.

He had known the boy was white-skin, of course, but everything else about him was out of this world. Black midnight hair that reached the tip of his ears, bright, blue eyes that Chase could get lost in, and when Marshall wasn't wearing a button up, he was wearing a thin, red T-shirt underneath it.

"I'm a freak, I know." Marshall said. "I'd use the Albino excuse, but I'm really not an albino. I'm just really, really, really, really pale...and I know you wouldn't like it."

"What are you talking about?" Chase asked once again, this time, in frustration. "Stop assuming what I like and what I don't like. I don't care if you look like this, I think you are beautiful." At that, Marshall blushed. "Even more so with a little pink in your face."

"C-Chase..."

"You're the flower expert, so you should know these, right?" Chase said, holding up the bouquet of flowers again. Marshall stared at them, the blush becoming more evident.

"Alstroemerias, Begonias, Larkspurs, Lilacs, Pansies, Sunflowers, Tulips, Camellias, and...Roses." He whispered, taking the bouquet and staring at them in amazement. Chase watched him with careful eyes.

"Granted, not all of them fit in the category like I want them to, but...you get the gist of it. Especially with the Lilacs." Chase said. Of course there's more Lilacs than there are the others, mostly because Chase wanted Marshall to get the message, and, being the flower expert that Marshall is, he knew what Lilacs meant.

"First love..." He said, looking at Chase. "You...love me?"

"Crushing on you, more like it," Chase said, shifting his feet. "But, if it's all the same to you, then yes."

Marshall stared at him, then at the flowers.

"Chase-"

"I have one more flower to give to you." Chase said, before pulling it out, and making Marshall gasp.

It was an Viscaria.

"Instead of asking you to dance, how about a date?" He asked, grinning slightly, blushing. Marshall bit his lip, but Chase knew, he was about to grin as well.

"Of course." He said, and before he could stop it, he ran up to Chase and hugged him as tightly as he could, Chase returning the hug. The two were like that for a good moment, before they broke away, staring into each other eyes, smiling. Then, unexpectedly, Marshall planted a kiss on Chase's lips, surprising the taller teen, who blinked and looked down at the blushing boy. "Your reward."

"I have a feeling there's going to be more kissing in the future." Chase said, chuckling, before a curious question popped into his mind. "So...my friends tells me that you're the Flower Boy, and Flower Boys are off-limits to dating. Care to tell me why?"

At that, Marshall smiled.

"Because Flower Boys were waiting just the right moment for someone to come and pluck them off their stems." He giggled, even when Chase gave him a squeezing hug.

 _This_ Flower Boy has been waiting for a long time. It was about time Chase plucked his flower.


End file.
